Week 8 key matchups: Young IOL gets big test against Chris Jones

Big opportunity for several young bucks to prove themselves this week

With the Las Vegas Raiders sitting at 2-5 heading into the Week 8 matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs, moving forward, the focus of key matchups will shift toward young players on the Raiders’ roster who have a chance to prove themselves. At this stage, developing and building for the future is more important than how the scoreboard looks at the end of the game.

So, Sunday’s contest will be a big opportunity for guys who are still on their rookie contracts with the defending back-to-back Champions coming into Las Vegas.

Jackson Powers-Johnson/Jordan Meredith vs. Chris Jones

By now, Raider Nation knows all too well about how good of a pass-rusher Jones is and how disruptive he can be. It’s been more of the same this season as he currently ranks second among defensive tackles with 30 pressures and leads the position with a 19.4 percent pass rush win rate, per Pro Football Focus.

The five-time All-Pro has been lining up all over Kansas City’s defensive line this season which means both of Las Vegas’ young guards will have to be on top of their games.

While Powers-Johnson has had his moments, consistency has been his biggest issue, especially in pass protection. For example, he got off to a good start with just one pressure allowed in his first two games, but he’s given up 11 in the last three outings and last week was arguably the rookie’s worst showing with five pressures yielded.

At the other guard spot, Dylan Parham could return from injury this week and replace Meredith as a key matchup. But if Parham can’t go again, Meredith has been sharp over the last two weeks with zero pressures allowed and an 81.5 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus.

For good measure, Parham has been stout in pass-pro this year as well, giving up just six pressures in six games. However, two of his worst performances in 2023 came against Jones and the Chiefs.

Regardless of which young guards are in the game, Sunday will be an opportunity to prove themselves by going up against the best interior pass-rusher in the game.

Tre Tucker vs. Trent McDuffie

Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

In fairness to Tucker, the Raiders’ unstable quarterback situation could hinder his impact on the game. That’s a big part of the reason why he’s only had 21 catches for 226 yards and a touchdown and just one outing with more than 50 yards.

So, moving forward, the second-year pro’s success will need to be measured more by how the film looks and how much separation he gets rather than what’s reflected on the stat sheet. And if Jakobi Meyers misses another game, this weekend will be a great opportunity for Tucker to prove himself against strong competition.

Part of the reason why the Chiefs were comfortable trading away L’Jarius Sneed this offseason is because they had faith in McDuffie. So, far the cornerback has justified the team’s belief in him.

McDuffie has surrendered just 147 receiving yards this season and has yet to give up more than 40 yards in a single game, per PFF. On top of that, quarterbacks have just a 76.9 passer rating when targeting him and he hasn’t surrendered a touchdown yet.

The cornerback has also expanded his portfolio by covering both the boundary (236 total snaps) and the slot (100) this season, while Tucker has also spent time out wide and on the inside over the last two years. In other words, these two will likely be facing each other often on Sunday.

Isaiah Pola-Mao vs. Travis Kelce/Noah Gray

In the past, the Raiders have typically used multiple defenders throughout the game to cover Kelce, Pola-Mao being one of the players to draw that assignment.

The safety has been solid in coverage this season, allowing six catches on eight targets but for just 45 yards and a passer rating of 88.0. That combined with a pass breakup has helped him earn a respectable 69.9 coverage grade from PFF.

However, guarding Kelce is another beast as the entire NFL has found out over the last several years. Granted, his numbers are down this season with 28 catches, 245 yards and no touchdowns, but part of the reason for that is the emergence of Gray.

Make no mistake about it, he is still the No. 2 tight end in Kansas City as Kelce has more than double the number of targets (37 to 15). But Gray has been impressively efficient with 14 catches for 185 yards and 2.13 yards per route run, via PFF. The latter is tied for sixth at the position and only 0.03 yards behind George Kittle.

So, the two tight ends pose a threat to the Raiders’ defense which, simultaneously, gives Pola-Mao an opportunity to prove himself as a starting safety.